MLS Playoffs 2024: Intense Battles and Team Updates

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00:00Los Playoffs de la MLS, this is where dreams are made or broken.

00:08Let's kick it off with a quick refresher of this year's new format real quick.

00:12It's a best of three series for the first round, meaning every game has to have a winner.

00:18No draws allowed, no aggregate scores, and we go to penalties if needed.

00:23You've got to be on top of your game.

00:25Nick, there's no room for mistakes.

00:27Thank you for being with us.

00:28Of course, exactly, Marcelino.

00:29The best of three.

00:31It's intense, to say the least.

00:32It's not just about showing up for one match, playing good here and there.

00:35You've got to show up every match.

00:37You've got to win at least two of those matches, and each game in this format feels like a

00:40knockout, even though it's not technically a knockout stage.

00:44Shakes things up.

00:45Makes things exciting.

00:46Things will shake indeed.

00:48Let's look at the Eastern Conference first, starting with a big one, Inter-Miami led

00:52by Lionel Messi, taking on the wildcard winner, Atlanta.

00:57It's a massive challenge for Atlanta, the former MLS big boss, but hey, this is play

01:01of soccer.

01:02Anything can happen.

01:04For more on Atlanta's victory and their upcoming clash with Inter-Miami, let's go with Francisco

01:09Equis Rivera, who has the latest updates from the field.

01:11Francisco, talk to me.

01:13So glad to say hello from Providence Park here in Portland, Oregon, home of one of the

01:17wildcard games in Major League Soccer.

01:20But first of all, what we saw last night in Montreal was simply amazing.

01:24A lot of drama.

01:26First of all, Joseph Martinez going against his former team, Atlanta United, the team

01:30that he won a title with, scoring a penalty kick in the last few minutes of the game.

01:36Then the match goes into penalty kicks, and the away team is able to come out with a victory.

01:41A lot of drama.

01:42Brad Gusan makes a mistake that could have been costly, but then at the end is able to

01:46come through in penalty kicks.

01:48So that was great for Brad Gusan, the former Aston Villa goalie.

01:52So moving forward, what happens for Atlanta United?

01:57They get the biggest rival in all of MLS, Inter-Miami, the team that broke the record

02:02that the England Revolution held previously for most points in MLS in one single season.

02:08The team with the player of the month, and obviously the best player around the globe,

02:12not only MLS, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Sergi Busquets.

02:17But you know what?

02:18There's something about Atlanta, though, that is interesting.

02:20They have nothing to lose whatsoever.

02:22They're a team that were almost eliminated a few weeks back, and they were able to make

02:26it in the rebound, and now they face Inter-Miami.

02:30They find themselves in this stage.

02:32So we'll be back with more here for Providence Park, but in the meantime, we're sending it

02:35back to the studio.

02:36Gracias, Francisco.

02:37That's going to be one exciting series, but there's plenty more action in the Eastern

02:42Conference.

02:43To break down, let's start with Columbus Crew, the defending champs.

02:47They're set to face New York Red Bulls.

02:50Columbus, Nick, has firepower with Cucho Hernandez.

02:53They are leading the charge, but Nick, tell me, do you think Red Bulls has what it takes

02:58to frustrate them enough to go to the next round?

03:02That's a good question.

03:03Columbus is definitely the favorite here, but we've seen Red Bull pull big surprises

03:07before out of a hat, like out of nowhere.

03:10So look, if they can stay solid defensively throughout the match and find that one crucial

03:14goal that they might be able to sneak by, they can make this series tough for Columbus.

03:18But hey, we're talking about Columbus at the end of the day, right?

03:21They're looking great.

03:22Columbus, one of the best teams in the season.

03:24Now we go to FC Cincinnati, who will take on New York City Football Club.

03:28Yeah, so New York City has the quality to challenge Cincinnati, but Acosta has been

03:34unstoppable.

03:35It's going to be all about who can convert those chances, make every opportunity count.

03:40Cincinnati's attack might just overpower New York City FC in this series, but we'll have

03:44to see.

03:45We will have to see.

03:46This game is going to be great.

03:47Imagine they win, they go all the way, and we have Dodgers and Yankees, LAFC, and New

03:53York City Football Club.

03:55That's amazing.

03:56I didn't think about that.

03:57Let's move on to Orlando City versus Charlotte FC.

04:02Orlando's been on fire lately, Nick, but Charlotte defense has been tough to crack.

04:06This is one that is going to be tough to call.

04:08Yeah, yeah, definitely.

04:09Charlotte's resilience has been impressive so far, but I think Orlando's attack will

04:14find a way through somehow.

04:16It's going to be a tight series, though, no matter how you look at it.

04:18Shifting to the Western Conference, LAFC, the regular season Western champs are waiting

04:23for the winner of the wildcard game.

04:25Nick, LAFC has been dominant all season.

04:27Are they the clear favorites to win it all?

04:29They're looking amazing.

04:30They're definitely the team to beat out West, at least with Balanga, Giroud in top form.

04:36Whoever comes out of their wildcard will have their hands full against LAFC's firepower,

04:41no doubt.

04:42They are the team to watch out in the West.

04:43They're looking good.

04:44We might see the return of Carlos Vela to the team on these playoffs.

04:48We are very excited about that.

04:50And now we go with your team, Nick, the LA Galaxy versus Colorado Rapids.

04:55The Galaxy offense is loaded with top talent, one of the best that we've seen.

04:59Colorado struggled with injuries throughout the whole season.

05:02Do you think they have any chance to pull an upset?

05:06That's a really good question.

05:07It's a tough ask for Colorado right now with Galaxy's attacking options, right, the players

05:11that they have up front.

05:12They should control the series.

05:14If Colorado doesn't find a way to disrupt that rhythm, Galaxy will just be too much

05:17for them.

05:18They're a stronger team right now, at least on paper, so we'll have to see.

05:22Like you say, on paper, they should be winning this series.

05:24And let's go to Real Salt Lake versus Minnesota United, another closely matched series.

05:30Both teams have been solid down the stretch.

05:32Nick, is there anything that gives any of the two teams an edge?

05:37That's difficult to say.

05:38Real Salt Lake's unbeaten run gives them that confidence, but then on the other side, Minnesota's

05:42resurgence kind of gives them that dangerous momentum.

05:45So it could go either way, depending on which team handles the pressure better.

05:49And I guess that's the beauty of the playoff.

05:50Indeed.

05:51And lastly, Seattle Sounders take on Houston Dynamo.

05:54Seattle defense has been rock solid, especially at home, but Houston has an attack led by

06:00former Mexican superstar Hector Herrera.

06:03They could cause problems.

06:04How do you see them playing out in this series?

06:07Okay, so Seattle has that defensive advantage that they're going to need, especially with

06:11Lumenfield behind them.

06:12But if Herrera, who you just mentioned, as well as Ponce get some space to make things

06:16happen, Houston could make it tough.

06:18They could make it a tough series.

06:19So I'd still give the edge to Seattle overall, but you never know.

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